Travel
Tips for the Traveling Single Parent (continued)
5. Are there any travel suppliers that specialize
in single parents?
There is only a handful of tour operators
and hotels that occasionally offer a single parent
special. Sometimes it really is a Single Parent
Special with single parent pricing and/or single
parent family activities. Other times it may be
smoke and mirrors marketing. We weed out the differences
and offer information on our website in a Single
Parent Specials section.
Commencing
in summer of 2003 we will be offering a national
program of tours and weekend getaways to exciting
destinations specifically for single parent and
non-traditional families. The program will be
called, appropriately, - Single Parent Tours.
6. Tell us about your book, "The Single Parent
Travel Handbook".
The book is a road map of how to budget and plan
a single parent family vacation and enjoy an exciting,
adventurous trip that is fun for both adult and
child. The book is informative and entertaining
and includes a chapter of heartwarming and funny
stories from Single Parent Dads and their adventures.
It also includes a listing of travel agencies
that specialize in single parent travel - the
only listing of its kind in the world. Parent
Without Partners has hailed the book as a "Must-read"
for any family traveler.
7.
Can you offer single parents any travel tips?
Yes, traveling as a single parent with kids is
an awesome responsibility. It can also be great
fun and very rewarding. You need to get your kids
involved in the process both before and during
the trip. Kids old enough to read can help with
research, especially on the Internet. Little kids
can help during the trip by counting luggage and
checking out fire exits. In no time at all they
become very good at it. Older kids, 12 and up
can become excellent navigators and map readers.
If the trip becomes a team effort everyone is
involved in the process, it takes some of the
burden off the single parent, and the kids quickly
develop some very useful life skills at an early
age.
You
often see TV ads with the traditional two parent
family in the SUV taking a road trip with their
kids. The adults are in front and the teen-agers
and pre-teens sit in back isolating themselves
with their CD players. In a single parent family
travel situation the teen-ager or the 12-year
old is seated up front reading road signs or helping
the parent navigate through the city or search
for an upcoming exit. When the child is helpful,
the parent should compliment the child. "You
did a great job reading the signs and helping
me get through the city!" This builds self-esteem
in the child and it gets you both to the hotel
pool faster.
8. How can consumers buy The
Single Parent Travel Handbook?
Consumers can buy the book by phone through the
Book Clearing at toll free 800-431-1579 or direct
from the author on SingleParentTravel.net.
The book will be available anywhere books are
sold as of its official publication date, March
21, 2003-Single Parents' day.
